Monday, January 10, 2005
Forget the Lawyers, Kill All the Consultants
Did Willie Shakespeare get it wrong? Could he not wrap his brilliant yet decidely Elizabethan mind around the concept of political consultancy? Maybe he was at least half-right; I mean, many of the consultants are lawyers anyway, so no harm, no foul Oh Bard of Avon.
Adding to the developing literature of failure surrounding yet another Democratic defeat at the national ballot box (the idea of secession still has currency in my mind), Amy Sullivan has written a piece that gets to the heart of the matter for Washington Monthly.
Her analysis shows that Big-name Democratic consultants like Bob Shrum, Mark Mellman, and Joe Hansen continue to be the standard bearers for their party's electoral strategy--despite losing big contests time-and-time again. Why? Sullivan comes up with a few answers. First, these big players have a lock on power and access, and hence, money. The D's, for good or ill (mostly the latter) radiate power out of Washington. The GOP, by contrast, recognizes and puts to much more effective use, their outside players who shake-up and innovate and, by the way, win elections. Sure, the bloated GOP stalwarts populating K Street still get enough contracts and cash to keep them fat:
"but they're not in the inner circle.” In 2004, seasoned Washington media
strategist Alex Castellanos paid the bills with a handful of safe congressional
races and a few unsuccessful primary challengers. Meanwhile, nearly every tight
Senate race (North Carolina, Alaska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Florida) was
handled by a Tampa-based firm, The Victory Group. "
So what now in 2005 as the Democrats look again at realigning the stars and tweaking the margins of their once-formidable electoral empire? Is there an urge to 'toss dem' bums out' and start afresh? Sullivan concludes, "As for Hansen, his connection to Daschle may not help him now that the South Dakotan has vacated the Democratic leader's office. But don't cry for Joe Hansen—he's the consultant for incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. "
Now there's a clear path to success.
Did Willie Shakespeare get it wrong? Could he not wrap his brilliant yet decidely Elizabethan mind around the concept of political consultancy? Maybe he was at least half-right; I mean, many of the consultants are lawyers anyway, so no harm, no foul Oh Bard of Avon.
Adding to the developing literature of failure surrounding yet another Democratic defeat at the national ballot box (the idea of secession still has currency in my mind), Amy Sullivan has written a piece that gets to the heart of the matter for Washington Monthly.
Her analysis shows that Big-name Democratic consultants like Bob Shrum, Mark Mellman, and Joe Hansen continue to be the standard bearers for their party's electoral strategy--despite losing big contests time-and-time again. Why? Sullivan comes up with a few answers. First, these big players have a lock on power and access, and hence, money. The D's, for good or ill (mostly the latter) radiate power out of Washington. The GOP, by contrast, recognizes and puts to much more effective use, their outside players who shake-up and innovate and, by the way, win elections. Sure, the bloated GOP stalwarts populating K Street still get enough contracts and cash to keep them fat:
"but they're not in the inner circle.” In 2004, seasoned Washington media
strategist Alex Castellanos paid the bills with a handful of safe congressional
races and a few unsuccessful primary challengers. Meanwhile, nearly every tight
Senate race (North Carolina, Alaska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Florida) was
handled by a Tampa-based firm, The Victory Group. "
So what now in 2005 as the Democrats look again at realigning the stars and tweaking the margins of their once-formidable electoral empire? Is there an urge to 'toss dem' bums out' and start afresh? Sullivan concludes, "As for Hansen, his connection to Daschle may not help him now that the South Dakotan has vacated the Democratic leader's office. But don't cry for Joe Hansen—he's the consultant for incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. "
Now there's a clear path to success.
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